Colombia defeated Bolivia 3-0 on Saturday to finish its Copa America preparations on a high note, while the Verde team created a bad impression in the final game before the continental competition, which resulted in three player suspensions.
At Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut, the team led by Argentine Néstor Lorenzo demolished their opposition. Goals from midfielder Jhon Arias, forward Jhon Córdoba, and winger Luis Díaz secured the victory.
The coffee growers took control from the start and began to cause harm through their partnerships and pressure.
In the 5th minute, Arias scored with a right-footed shot after stealing the ball from the opponent’s departure. Díaz skillfully cleared many opponents but lost the ball in the area.
Colombia scored 2-0 in the 25th minute after Díaz sent a low cross to Córdoba from Krasnodar. Córdoba received the ball with his back turned and took a shot that Guillermo Viscarra couldn’t stop.
In the first half, the sole chance for Brazilian Antonio Carlos Zago’s team came in the 35th minute, when Fernando Saucedo took a powerful shot that was stopped by Camilo Vargas.
In the 42nd minute, Colombian winger Deiver Machado passed to Díaz, who took advantage of a defender to score 3-0.
The coffee farmers slowed the tempo of the game in the second half, and the Verde hardly had a chance with a cross from full-back Roberto Fernández that Diego Medina almost put in the back of the net, but he couldn’t finish cleanly.
In the 67th minute, defender Héctor Cuéllar launched a hard attack on Díaz, resulting in a confrontation on the pitch between players from both teams.
Mexican referee Daniel Quintero dismissed Colombian full-back Daniel Muñoz and Bolivian attacker Menacho after a scuffle.
The final score stayed unchanged, and both teams’ preparations for the continental championship were complete.
Bolivia will make its Copa América debut on Sunday 23 against the United States at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington (Texas), while Colombia will play its first match the next day against Paraguay at the NRG Stadium in Houston.
